Memphis Grizzlies 2013 Player Profile: Ed Davis

By Zach Slotter

Brett Davis – USA Today Sports

The Memphis Grizzlies are a team that truly knows their identity. They are deep in the front court and they are a physical team that will beat you down low all day. They are led by Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and the two help provide the Grizzlies with the ability to make a deep playoff run each and every year.

The Grizzlies solidified that identity of a defensive minded team when they traded the awful contract of Rudy Gay to acquire multiple players, including Tayshaun Prince. But the prize in that trade, in my eyes, was Ed Davis.

Davis is now in his fourth season in the NBA and his first full season with the Grizzlies after coming over in the trade deadline last year. Davis was posting career numbers with the Toronto Raptors before getting traded midseason; 9.7 points and 6.7 rebounds in about 24 minutes per game. Davis is extremely efficient, with a career field goal percentage of 54.4 percent. The problem in Memphis is that there are not a lot of minutes to go around at the power forward and center position because of Z-Bo and Gasol.

But the Grizzlies need to find a way to get Davis on the court. because he has the ability to contribute. Randolph is averaging a career low 11.2 points per game through the first five and is only playing about 27 minutes per. They are currently giving over 15 minutes per game to Kosta Koufos, and he is giving them about six points and four rebounds in that time. Davis is only receiving about 12 minutes per game thus far, and has a higher field goal percentage (53.3 percent) than Gasol, Randolph and Koufos.

The Grizzlies need to get Davis on the court for at least 20-25 minutes a game somehow. Whether that means taking minutes away from Koufos or going super big with Randolph, Gasol and Davis together, it needs to happen. Davis has proven that when he receives playing time, he is a good player and the Grizzlies need him down the stretch this year.